Birth Preparation

Birth Preparation in Chelsea Heights

Here at Total Balance Healthcare we love supporting local mums in any way we possibly can. This includes the antenatal period. If you are currently pregnant, regardless of which trimester you are in, it is never too early to start preparing your body and mind for birth.

What is a Birth Preparation appointment?

A birth preparation appointment is all about preparing your physical body and mind for the birthing process. We spend time discussing the physiological process of birth providing education about each stage of labour and the ways you can influence your own experience. We discuss non pharmacological pain options, active birth positions and ways to prepare your body prior to labour.

A birth preparation appointment can also include an internal pelvic floor assessment to check for any pelvic floor dysfunction which may impact an optimal vaginal delivery. An internal examination is also used to assess and coach you in your ability to relax your pelvic floor and push. A birth preparation appointment is designed to give you the opportunity to ask all and any questions you may have surrounding pregnancy and birth that you may have not had the opportunity to ask at your other antenatal appointments. Lastly, even though a birth preparation appointment is done before you welcome your new baby, we spend time discussing early at home care and management strategies you can implement following birth.

What can I expect during my first consultation?

Every appointment is tailor made to the individual patient. However, If we map out what your first pelvic health assessment consultation may look like, you can expect something similar to this:

History taking

Your initial appointment will go for 60 minutes. The first 30-40 minutes of this appointment will be spent taking a thorough history. We will discuss your relevant medical history and any pelvic health concerns or complaints you are currently experiencing as well as your current and previous antenatal care. We then spend time exploring what your ideal birth looks like giving you ample time to ask questions as we formulate a plan of how we can empower you to reach this birthing goal.

Assessment

To help prepare your body for birth, we will begin your assessment by looking at how your body moves and functions as you stand and walk. As osteopaths we like to look at the body as a whole, so we incorporate an assessment of the entire body to ensure your pelvis is moving well and able to accommodate the different positions required to pass a baby through the birth canal.

Following this, we will conduct an internal and/or an external pelvic health exam, where we will assess the strength, muscle tone, and look for any weaknesses in the structures of the pelvis. Here we are able to assess your pelvic floor (and whether it is strong, weak, or overactive), we look at your pushing technique and the elasticity of your tissues and then coach you through different breathing and mindfulness techniques to aid in pushing.

It is not necessary to have an internal vaginal assessment in order to get our advice and results, however most women find it beneficial to have an internal pelvic health assessment in order to gather more information as to how we can best prepare you for this exciting time ,Please speak to your pelvic health osteopath about this if you have any questions.

Advice and follow up appointments

Following your assessment, your pelvic health osteopath will provide you with advice and education tailor made to your individual findings. Depending on what stage of your pregnancy you are currently in will determine when you will come in for your follow up appointment. At your follow up appointment, we will re-assess and progress rehabilitation and pelvic function.

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